Newcastle United have a real 'opportunity' to upset the established order this season because the Magpies are not playing in Europe.
That is according to Tim Sherwood after Newcastle went into the World Cup break in third place following a superb start to the campaign. Newcastle, as a result, will be above Spurs, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea in the table on Christmas Day.
Newcastle's remarkable turnaround comes down to so much more than playing fewer games than their rivals, of course, when the Magpies were in the relegation zone this time last year despite not having any European commitments then, either. However, Howe's side have at least been able to predominantly focus on the Premier League once more. In fact, Newcastle have only played two matches in another competition and, even then, Howe was able to make changes for those Carabao Cup ties against Tranmere and Crystal Palace.
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Newcastle have played 17 matches in 98 days in total, which amounts to an average of a game nearly every six days. Fourth-placed Spurs, in contrast, have contested 22 fixtures in the same period, which works out as around a game every four or so days.
Newcastle's rivals may be used to playing so many matches in the Champions League or Europa League - and can count on a host of internationals in reserve - but that subtle difference in schedules has not gone unnoticed by opposition managers given the intensity in which Newcastle play. Man City boss Pep Guardiola even said the absence of European football for Newcastle was a 'big advantage when you arrive in the last months with energy'.
On a similar note, following his side's 1-0 defeat against Newcastle, Chelsea manager Graham Potter said 'you can probably see the difference between the schedules in terms of one game a week versus the intense period we've had'. Potter was referring to the 13 games Chelsea had played in a month-and-a-half - four more than Newcastle faced in the same period - but it is worth noting that both sides were playing their third match in less than a week when they met at St James' Park earlier this month.
Regardless, Sherwood, who worked with Howe for Premier League Productions during the Newcastle head coach's time out of the game, feels the black-and-whites have a real chance to build on such a strong start in the second half of the season.
"There's no Champions League, there's no Europa League, they're going to strengthen, they will be third going into Christmas," he told the Kelly and Wrighty show. "It's an opportunity for them."
Howe will also have the benefit of working with the majority of his squad when they return for a mini pre-season of sorts before the Premier League season restarts on Boxing Day. Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Bruno Guimaraes and Callum Wilson may all be away at the World Cup, but Man City (16) Manchester United (15), Chelsea (12), Spurs (11), Arsenal (10) and Liverpool (seven) have more representatives in Qatar.
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